Detachable stopper-retainer for bottles.



J. MERRILL.

DETAGHABLE STOPPER RETAINER FOR BOTTLES.

APPLICATION FILED DB(1.1, 1911.

Patented Aug. 13, 1912.

wzn azeases COLUMBIA PH 00., WASHINGTON, D. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSHUA MERRILL, or DEDHAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

DETACHAIBLE STOPPER-RETAINER FOR BOTTLES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSHUA MERRIL a citizen of the United States, and resident of Dedham, county of Norfolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Detachable Stopper-Retainers for Bottles, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention has for its object the production of a simple and eflicient device for retaining in a bottle the cork or other stopper during temporary transportation, so that during transit the contents of the bottle cannot be spilled.

It frequently happens that when traveling a person desires to take along bottles containing medicine, perfumery, or other toilet preparations, and after the initial seal of such a bottle has been broken considerable care and trouble is necessary to so fix the stopper that it will not become loose in transit. Various means are utilized to accomplish the desired object, such as wrapping up the bottle, fastening the stopper in place by string, etc, and taking care to place the bottle or bottles upright in the hand-bag or valise, but such means are neither eflicient nor convenient, and frequently the contents of a bottle will be spilled, to the great detriment of adjacent articles, to say nothing of the vexatious loss of the medicine or other liquid spilled.

In accordance with my present invention I provide a stopper-retainer which can be quickly applied to orremoved from a bottle, and which will retain the stopper securely and tightly in place, irrespective of the position of the bottle or to any jarring or shaking to which it may be subjected in transit.

The various novel features of my invention will be fully described in the subj oined specification and particularly pointed out in the following claims.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a bottle with a stopper-retainer embodying my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a right hand side elevation of the device illustrated in Fig. 1, the body of the bottle being broken ofi; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the stopper-retainer, detached from the bottle; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the detachable clip forming the attaching mem- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. December 1, 1911.

Patented Aug. 13, 1912. Serial No. 663,257.

ber of the retainer; Fig. 5 is a similar View of the stopper-engaging member of the re tainer.

Referring first to Figs. 3, i and 5, the attaching member of the stopper-retainer is shown as a band or clip 1, made of resilient sheet-metal, generally circular in shape, with its ends out-turned as at 2, 3, having a relatively wide opening to enable the clip to be quickly snapped upon the neck a of a bottle, below the usual lip b, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. This attaching member or clip is made in different sizes, to fit the necks of bottles of various sizes, but owing to its resiliency a clip of any given size will readily cooperate with bottle necks varying considerably in diameter. The out-turned ends 2, 3 not only facilitate the application of the clip, but they also provide convenient points for applying pressure of the fingers when the clip is to be detached, to spread or enlarge it temporarily. Adjacent the end 3 the body of the clip is bent outward or offset, as at 4:, Fig. 4:, and at the opposite side the body is cut or punched to provide a spring finger or catch 5, slightly outturned from the external surface of the clip, and preferably at the lower edge thereof to leave a slot-like opening 5 therebetween.

The stopper-engaging member, shown separately in Fig. 5, is a strip of flexible and preferably elastic material, such as i11diarubber, having an enlarged part 6, a tonguelike free end 7 and an opposite extension turned over upon itself to form a loop 8, closed by a metal band 9. I prefer to reinforce or strengthen the extension by a backing 10 of textile fabric, so that the elasticity or stretch is confined to the parts 6 and 7. The loop 8 is pushed over the end 3 of the clip 1 onto the bend 4, see Fig. 3, the offset permitting the loop to lie smoothly in place without forming a projection at the interior of the clip.

To use the retainer the cork or stopper 0 is pushed tightly into place in the neck of the bottle, and the clip 1 is snapped onto the neck or. below the lip b, as in Figs. 1 and 2. Then the stopper-engaging member is drawn upward and across the end of the stopper, the enlargement 6 being stretched over and around the stopper, as shown, and the tongue 7 is stretched to attenuate it. While so attenuated the tongue is drawn or crowded into the space 5 between the finger 5 and the adjacent portion of the clip, and then the tongue is released, the wedging thereof into the slot-like space 5 serving to hold the tongue firmly, and as the retainer is made of india-rubber the part of the tongue below the finger will resume its normal thickness when released, assisting the finger in its grip on the attenuated and pinched part of the tongue.

In Fig. 2 the free end of the tongue 7 below the holding finger or catch 5 is shown of normal thickness, and it will be understood that between the holding finger and the part adjacent the loop 8 the retaining member is stretched and under tension. The stopperengaging member is thus held firmly and securely at opposite sides of and adjacent the bottle neck, and passes over the end of the stopper, thereby retaining the latter tightly seated in the neck of the bottle, the lip b preventing any outward movement of the clip on the neck and thereby obviating any loosening of the stopper-engaging memher. To release the stopper the end of the tongue 7 is grasped below the finger 5 and stretched, and thereby the grip of said finger on the tongue is diminished, so that a lateral movement of the tongue toward the free, end of said finger releases the tongue, and the stopper can be taken out. The clip is quickly detached from the bottle neck by pushing the ends 23 apart to cause the clips to open and release the neck of the bottle.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the enlarged part 6 of the engaging member not only engages the outer end of the stopper but it is cupped over it, so that there cannot be any side-slip of the part 6 off from the stopper. The clip can be nickeled, silver-plated, or otherwise embellished, and the device as a whole presents a neat and attractive appearance, and it can be made at a small cost, the clip lasting indefinitely.

As the stopper-engaging member may be broken or torn after considerable use, or deteriorates, it can be readily renewed, the substitution of a new stopper-engaging member taking but a moment. I prefer to make such member of elastic material, such as india-rubber, because it can be stretched and held under tension when in use, thereby always acting to force the stopper into the bottle neck, and the catching or gripping ot the tongue by the finger or catch on the clip is facilitated by the temporary attenuation of the tongue, as explained.

Having fully described my invention,

what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A detachable stopperretainer for bottl es, comprising a member to detachably embrace the neck ot a bottle, a non-metallic flexible stopper-engaging member permanently secured at one end to the attaching member, and a catch on said member having a slot-like opening to cooperate with and grip the free end of the stopper-engaging member when drawn edgewise into the opening, to thereby maintain the stopperengaging member in engagement with and to retain the stopper seated in the bottle, said catch being located diametrically opposite the permanent connection of the attaching and stopper-engaging members.

2. A stopper-retainer for bottles, comprising a resilient metal clip to detachably embrace the neck of a bottle, an elastic stopperengaging member fixedly attached at one end to the clip and adapted to pass over the outer end of the stopper, and a spring holding finger on the clip to grip the free end of the said engaging member and maintain said member in stopper-retaining position.

3. A stopper-retainer for bottles, comprising an attaching member to detachably embrace the neck of a bottle, an elastic and longitudinally extensible stopper-engaging member pern'ianently attached at one end to said attaching member and adapted to be stretched across the outer end of the stopper, and a catch on the attaching member to grip temporarily the free end of and maintain the elongated engaging member stretched and under tension across the stopper.

4. A stopper-retainer for bottles, comprisin g a spring clip to detachably embrace the neck of a bottle, an elastic stopperengaging member comprising an enlarged portion, a loop, and an elongated tongue, said loop being attached to the clip at one side thereof, and a spring catch on the clip at the opposite side, to engage and hold temporarily said tongue when the stopper-engaging member is stretched and positioned across the outer end of the stopper, to retain the latter seated tightly in the bottle.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSHUA MERRILL.

lVitnesses JOHN C. EDWARDs, FREDERICK S. GREENLEAF.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

